In catching up on some MMA that I missed this weekend, I decided to view the Tate vs. Kaufman bout from the Strikeforce Challenger Series (the match that was originally supposed to be Tate vs. Couture).  What I observed was a great back-and-forth battle between an excellent striker in Kaufman and a more than formidable wrestler in Tate.  Of course, both women have more tools in their respective tool kits, but the contrasting strengths of each woman helped make the fight.

Sarah Kaufman ended up taking the first and third rounds en route to a clear decision victory.  It looked as if she had Tate in trouble in the first, but the Strikeforce veteran was able to hang tough though she was clearly overmatched in the standing game.  Round two saw Tate take Kaufman down and use her superior wrestling to gain positional control and inflict a bit of damage.  Of the two, Sarah Kaufman is the more well-rounded, dangerous mixed martial artist at this point in time.  However, Miesha Tate looks to have a lot of upside.  Kaufman displayed a fantastic sprawl, but Tate was still able to take the Canadian down several times during the nine minute bout. 

One negative aspect of the match that stuck with me has long been a legitimate criticism of the way that some promotions conduct the female matches, and that is the ridiculous use of three-minute rounds instead of five-minute ones.  The entire broadcast team - Mauro Ranallo, Pat Miletich and Stephen Quadros - expressed displeasure with this practice.  One of the three even said that all the female fighters he had polled preferred the longer frames.  Sarah Kaufman put her support behind five-minute rounds for women in her post-fight interview.

I don't believe this particular bout would have turned out any differently as a three five-minute round event, but that's not the point.  From a fan's perspective, watching one of these compressed matches is more like watching a preview or a summary, perhaps, rather than a full MMA match filled with a heavy dose of complexity and strategy that longer rounds afford.  Unless there is a physical reason which is detrimental to the competitors and/or the fight action, Strikeforce and other promotions should bow to MMA tradition and make women's rounds equal to those of the men.  Personally, I don't believe such a physical barrier exists since many exciting female fights have been conducted with five-minute rounds, and many female competitors have fought numerous times at such length without any apparent physical damage.  If the majority of competitors want longer rounds along with many fans, I'm not sure what the rationale is for clinging to the current abbreviated setup.  It would be nice to hear what that rationale might be if it does, in fact, exist.

--Photo via www.mmaweekly.com

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Ariel Helwani makes the case for Tara LaRosa in Strikeforce:

Strikeforce is universally recognized as the unofficial home of female mixed martial arts. They've helped promote female fighters as much, if not more, than any organization out there. Yet for one reason or another, they have not signed LaRosa. Instead, the San Jose-based promotion has been forced to rebook fighters like Scott Smith and Nick Diaz two months after they last fought to fill up their upcoming June 6 card on Showtime.

Why not sign LaRosa, a free agent, to help build their female stable? Remember, female fighters are the one thing Strikeforce has that the UFC doesn't. If the best 205-pound fighters strive to fight in the UFC, the same can be said about female fighters looking to land a spot in Strikeforce. LaRosa is ready, willing and able. What else does she need to do to get noticed?

As Helwani points out, it's not like Strikeforce couldn't benefit from some added depth in their line-up.  The female side of the sport is one area where Zuffa isn't even attempting to compete.  If Coker believes that there's a profitable market for female fighting, why not load up the roster now?  Should Strikeforce sign LaRosa, it would be a definite signal that the promotion is serious about providing a competitive, talent-rich environment for the women and their fans. 

On a different but very much related front, there's an offer on the table from Sarah Kaufman to fight Miesha Tate as a replacement for Kim Couture.  What Coker and company do in regard to this situation should also shed some light on where they're going with the women's division(s).  One can only hope that Strikeforce will take Kaufman up on her offer, and make that match happen.

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The position of Ryan at Fight Linker is fairly easy to explain.  He believes Couture's inclusion on the televised portion of the May event is "complete bullshit."  Ryan points out that she's there as a name and doesn't deserve to be elevated above other female fighters who have more experience and more advanced sets of skills.  Another writer from Fight Linker, Shawn, has a different take on Couture and female MMA as a whole:

What we all need to remember is that until women’s MMA gains some traction here in the states, Strikeforce is going to continue the EliteXC model of promoting women — and rightfully so. They’ll focus on women who are are hot (Michelle Waterson), can kick the shit out of people (Cyborg Santos), or have both of those qualities (Gina Carano). This isn’t different from how we promote male fighters — or how Hollywood promotes celebrities. Looking at it another way, you are either incredibly talented at your craft (Cyborg), you might be fairly average at your craft but have some other quality that makes you valuable (Waterson), or, ideally, you possess the best of both (Gina). When it comes down to it, you need to stand out.

That’s why all the fuss about Kaitlin Young not getting her contract bought out was unwarranted.  She got a ton of exposure fighting on CBS and, despite the loss, she put up a helluva fight. She’ll be able to get fights when she’s good and ready. Despite that, with a 4-2 record, fairly average skills, and nothing entirely spectacular about her that would be overly valuable to a promoter, Strikeforce passed. Kim Couture, on the other hand, has serious name value and, if she can start winning, the audience will grow attached to her and want to see her evolve. Think Forrest Griffin coming off of TUF1.

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The argument could be made that the girl should get more experience in a prelim fight or two before she gets back on TV, but in a time when Strikeforce is desperate for some name value, putting her right back in the spotlight makes sense. Despite that, it will be complete bullshit if she gets matched up with somebody else who doesn’t want to be in the cage with her. But is the simple fact of Kim Couture getting TV time bullshit? No. It’s good business. And who knows — maybe this time she’s involved in an exciting fight.

Both points of view have their merits.  Although, I don't agree with the analysis of Kaitlin Young.  The problem, however, with rewarding name recognition over talent is that it doesn't foster the development skilled fighters.  Most female fighters are at a distinct disadvantage to Kim Couture.  They have virtually no current celebrity appeal, and it could be argued that many aren't as blessed in terms of attractiveness.  Obviously, MMA doesn't exist in a vacuum.  Appearance and celebrity do, and probably always will, help advance the causes of some over those of the majority.  Putting a somewhat popular, attractive fighter with one win and one loss on the televised portion of your show relays some sort of message about your promotion.

The message is clear to me.  Strikeforce has inked some great fighters, but not many of them can carry an event.  Lawler versus Shields as the main event is a stop-gap measure, and the inclusion of Kim Couture on the main card can be better termed as an act of necessity rather than "good business."

My question is, long-term goals of Strikeforce's female division(s) aside, are fight fans interested in a Kim Couture fight?  You know what's next.